Afghan Scholars Call for Applications

Participation in the program is limited to recently expatriated Afghan nationals residing in the U.S., U.K., E.U., Canada, and Australia. Once you create a login to the application platform, you will be asked to respond to an eligibility question to this effect before you can access the entire application.

The program does not require candidates to have a U.S. visa as the program will take place remotely.

We are no longer accepting applications at this time. The deadline to apply was January 15, 2022.

The application has four sections:

• Story description statement: A narrative description of the story idea you would like to pursue or question you would like to answer about how security, politics, economics, and migration challenges factored into the collapse of the Afghan government. Please also give us a general idea of how you would go about reporting the story. (1,000-word limit)
• Personal statement: A statement about your personal and professional background and how the program will advance your personal and professional goals. (500-word limit)
• Resume: A resume/CV not to exceed five pages.
• Work samples:
  • Written: up to 10 pages
  • Multimedia: up to 2 samples (no more than 1 hour in length)
• You will also be asked to provide the name and contact information for two professional references. No reference letters are required at this time.

You are expected to design an independent project around a research area that is of personal or professional interest to you and that you feel can be completed during the eight-month period, so please keep that in mind as you work on your “story description statement.”

The Afghan Scholars will produce research papers of up to 5,000 words or a multimedia project during their term of residence. This enables the Scholar to build a network of contacts in policymaking circles while disseminating the lessons they learn for a broader audience. If possible, a joint culminating symposium in Washington, D.C. will be held toward the end of the program.

You will design an independent project around a research area that is of personal or professional interest to you and that you feel can be completed in the eight-month research period. New America may be able to provide support to aid in identifying organizations and individuals for outreach, but, as the issue expert, we trust that you will be able to identify the appropriate individuals to call upon as you develop your project.

In general, the timeline for reviewing applications is subject to change and depends on the number of applications we receive as well as on the availability of reviewers.

The selection committee will review all of the applications in January, and decisions will be made accordingly. Finalists will be asked to schedule interviews via Zoom. Applications are private—we ask anyone involved in the selection process not to share or discuss any of the candidates or materials with outsiders.

Scholars will be notified in February and publicly announced when they begin the program. Further, Scholars, once accepted, should make themselves available for one-on-one meetings with the New America team in order to prepare a plan of approach for their project. We will then schedule regular group calls with the entire cohort.

The program timeline is February-September, 2022. New America will provide a monthly stipend of $2K USD per Scholar, and will also cover the cost of travel, hotel, and meals for a several-day in-person convening should one take place. We will also issue laptops on loan for the duration of the program.

Further, over the course of the program, a series of mandatory remote events will take place, such as meetings with policymakers and subject matter experts that can be helpful toward progressing the individual and collective project.

Unfortunately, due to the volume of interest in the program, we will not take any calls. If you have questions about the program or the application process, please visit our FAQ page as your first source of support.

Thank you again for your interest in the Afghanistan Observatory.